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Chinese hand laundry. Her mother died giving birth to her, and after his young wife’s death, her father, Hu Chen, who was much older and disappointed in not having a son, was uncertain of what to do with her. Hardly equipped to care for a newborn, he readily agreed when An Lei offered to raise her. Hu Chen lived on the second floor above his laundry, and although he employed several workers, seemed to be busy all the time. He had little if any interest in the child, infrequently sharing a meal with her usually on her Birthday.
    When Su Ling was four years old, Hu Chen returned from a trip to Shanghai with a new wife, an older woman closer to his own age. His new wife was quite ambitious and saw little potential in her new husband’s hand laundry. She convinced him to purchase the much larger Columbia Laundry which was housed in a big corner building, a block further up the road. He closed his small business, and restored his house to living quarters. They equipped the newly purchased laundry with the latest commercial washers and ironers available at that time, and soon had employees working round the clock. Having secured several large hotel accounts, the laundry thrived.
    Su Ling’s grandmother was the only constant in her life and had been since the day she was born. With An Lei’s love and devotion to guide her, she blossomed. She was blessed with a flawless complexion and beautiful features that were chiseled to perfection. She was a happy child and quite bright. She loved to draw birds and butterflies in particular, and played the Chinese harp. She was a joy to An Lei, especially after losing her young daughter.
    An Lei was a fine seamstress and managed to support herself and Su Ling quite well. Born in San Francisco to parents that had emigrated from China in the late 1800s, she had moved to Washington, D.C., shortly after she was married. Sometimes on Sundays when the weather was nice, An Lei and Su Ling would ride the streetcar to Chinatown and have dinner with relatives and friends.
    Each year in early February, they looked forward to the Chinese New Year Celebration in downtown Washington, D.C., when the friendship archway which marks Chinatown’s entrance at 7 th and H Streets, N.W., is topped with hundreds of painted dragons. The colorful dragons herald the beginning of the Chinese New Year, and are illuminated every night of the celebration, as the festivities continue for ten or more days, with traditional firecrackers, dragon dancers, colorful street parades, and special menus offered by area restaurants. Su Ling would always bring home sweets and souvenirs for her two best friends, Judy and me.
    Their home was small but lovely, and furnished with many beautiful pieces of Asian furniture and artifacts. In the small yard in back of the house, An Lei had planted a beautiful garden that included many herbs. During the winter months, she would carefully move the plants indoors placing them on the window sill to be nourished by direct sunlight, thus allowing her the use of fresh herbs year round.
    An Lei’s mother had taught her the theory of herbal medicine when she was relatively young, and she became quite proficient in the three major categories: Superior herbs—those which nourish life; Middle herbs—those which correct constitution; and Inferior herbs—those which expel disease. She used these herbs both for medicinal purposes as well as for cooking. Many of the herbs she used for cooking actually prevented the onset of various minor common illnesses.
    Chinese herbal medicines are used both internally and externally. She prepared internal formulas as powders, teas, and extracts by baking, boiling, frying, or grinding the herbs which were then taken as drafts by stirring them into water. External types are prepared as liniments, powders, extracts, salves, and plasters. She used these external formulas for bruises, sprains, open wounds, swellings, burns, and any other dermatological conditions.
    Su